Electrical piano-playing attachment.



N0. 868,740. EATENTED CCT. 22, 1907.

J. WEBER. ELECTRICAL PIANC PLAYING ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED BBPT.14.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lull]lllvlflllllllIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlvllllTlll E EAA/Jy' f@ PATENTED 0CT. 22, 1907.

J. WEBER.

ELECTRICAL PIANO PLAYING ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2y @witnesses (j i l, V6

' I @www UNITED STATES JOSEPH WEBER', OF BROOKLYN, N

EW YORK.

ELECTRICAL APIAN' O-PLAYIN G ATTACIEMENT.

No. 868,740. Bpeccation of Original application filed January I6, 1904, Serial No. 189,366.

Lettere Patent. Patented O ct. 22, 1907.

Divided and this application led September 14, 1905.

Serial No. 278.405.

To all whom it may co'nm:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WEBER, a citizen 'of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Piano- Playing Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable'others skilledin the art to which it appertains tol make and use the same.

My invention relates to pianos, and more particularly to an electrical piano lactuating'attachment, and is a divisionof an application filed .by'me on January 16, 1904, Serial Number 189,366.

The prime object of my invention among othersis'to provide a simple,'attractivevand efficient housing for the actuatingand controlling devices comprised in a'selfplaying attachment-for pianos, such housing being arranged .to occupy a minimum amount of space when the playeris placed in its operative position or disposed out of the way'beneath the key-board. l

Another object is to provide a housing which may be lmoved downward and diposedentirelyoutof the way and practically out of sight thus leaving no incumbrance or obstruction which would in any wise interfere with the normal use of a piano when itis desired to'manually 'operate the keys' thereof.

With the above and other objects in view .the invention consists of the novel constructions and combinationsi of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.A l

iIn theaccompanying drawngs I have shown the preferred form of my invention. In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention as applied for use upon an ordinary upright piano, the full lines indicating the operative position thereof over the keys, while the dotted lines show the position occupied I by the attachment after it has been swung downward; Fig. is a side elevation showing the position assumed by the device when the same bed; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of an upright piano showing the position occupied by my attachment when in place tocoperate with the keys; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line -XX, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section through the attachment proper; and Fig. 6 is a-detail view showing, on an enlarged scale, part of the construction illustrated in- Fig. l.

referring to the figures by numerals of reference, l indicates the side of a key of a piano of the usual or any preferred construction, While 2 designates'la portion of the framework of the instrument.- To the outer edge of the framework, thus ',or otherwise constructed, I attach a supporting arm 29 which extends downward and i s secured to one end of a bracket 28 fastened to the key bed 2 of the piano and with its lower portion disposed is stored under the key f l parallel therewith. Two of these brackets 28 are employed as shown in Fig. 4, and mounted between them is slides 27, the opposite edges of which are grooved to l receive the brackets. Ears 26 extend forward from this slide, and pivoted between them is an arm 25 to the free end of which is pivoted the housing 6 of the attachment. This housing is pivotally ccnnectedto the arm in any suitable manner, as by means of a pin 31, and has an aperture 4 therein whichv is adapted to receive a locking pin 30 whenthe housing 6 is disposed at right angles to the arm 25. A stop 5 extends upward from the slide 27 and is adapted'to support the arm 25 when the same is in the position shown in Fig. 1'. Another stop 3 is arranged on the side of housing 6 for the purpose of supporting -the housing uponV the arm 25 when the same has been folded thereon, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig. 2.

Disposed lwithin the housing 6 is a plurality of indi- `vidual key magnets which are controlled by means of a battery 7 and circuit therefor, each 4pair of operating magnets 8 being properly supported and insulated and l having an individual keycontrolling armature 9 and cooperating rod 10 extending downward through a suitable opening in the bottom of the housing'whereby the cushion end l1 will be in position to strike the key, a suitable spring 12 forming a proper connection-between the armature and said rod. By tapering the opening through which rod l0 extends so that its upperend will be of less diameter than the other portions of said opening,`the rod will always be maintained in correct position and when forced downward will find the key without producing friction. If preferred, the cushionlike^terminal 1l may be connected to the rod by screw threads, thus forming a proper adjustment of said parts relative to the key.

I deem it unnecessary to enter fully into a detailed description of the key actuating devices, though it may be stated that the rollers 13 and proper bearings and designed to store or pay off, as the l case may be, a continuous strip of perforated paper or other material l5, through the mediation of which the electric circuits are broken and closed incident to the operation of the keys. A housing 16 extends upward from the housing 6 and a bar 17 is located therein and extends from end to end thereof. This bar serves as va common return for the current when all of the vcircuits are connected to it. The said bar 17 has-a knife edge 19 designed as a bearing or seat upon which is disposed or pivotally secured the circuit making and breaking lever 20, it being understood that the barvl? may, if preferred, form an insulation'and support for the knife edge 19, which latter .would then' serve as a common return circuit for a1l`of the magnets. 'lhe office subserved by the pivoted member 20 is to form an nter,- mittent connectionI between the terminalZl andthe 14 are mounted in` terminal, thereby insuring that the opposite end-of the member 20 will immediately dropl into engagement with the terminal 21 .and close the circuit and thereby energize the magnets of said circuit. The result is 'that armature 9 will'iorce the rod 10 sharply downward and l0 actuate the key with which it is designed to coopera-te,

a suitable spring 23 being placed in coperation with the armature to hold the opposite end thereol slightly elevated when the magnets are deenergizel. A continiious rod 23 extending across the housing (i serves vas a common stop or limiting device for all the armatures. By mounting the housing upon the particular form of supporting means which has been described, the same can be readily caused to assumea position directly over the keys oi the piano, as shown ini Fig. l,

or can be swung downward and moved inward under the keys so that it will not be in the way ot th e operator desiring to manually operate them.

When it is desired to store the housing, the arm 25 is swung to a horizontal position and pin 3() is removed 25 so as to allow-the housing 6 to swing down into the position shown-by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The entire device is then slid inward upon the brackets Z-S and will be supported thereon under the key bed 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To replace the housing;V above the keys so as to copera-te with them, it is merely'necessary to reversevtln above described operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I Claim as new and desire, to secure by Letters Patent i's:

1. The combination with a suitable means of supporti an automatic playing' attachment and a hingedand slidable connection between the attachment and the means 868,740 A l m t of support whereby the attachment is movable into and out ol' operative position by combined swinging' and sliding movement.

L'. IThe combination with a supportingt means tixed lo a piano beneath its key bed; of a slide mounted on the supportingmeansi and an' automatic playirmr attachment hinged to tllt\'siide.and movable therewith.

3. 'lhe combination with a piano: of anpautomatic playim;r attachment having supporting'means permitting.: it to slide beneath the key-board and a hinged connection between said supporting; means und the piano.

4."lhe combination with a piano and a slide mounted under the key bed thereof, of an automatic playin."r attachment hinged to tin` slide. A

3, 'lbe combination with a supporting: bracket adapted to be connected to the key bed of a piano` of a slide mounted upon'lthe bracket, and au automatic playing attachment hinged to'i'he slide.

li. The combination with Hickey-board, ofv a supporting; bracket. a slide movable on the bracket and elongated in the direction of its movement, an automatic playin.;r attachment' and means mountedupon and movable into alinemenl. with the slide for supporting' the attachment above the inw-board.

7, 'lhe combination with a supporting; means adapted to be connected to a piano: of an automatic playiuf: at tachment and a horizontally slidable connection between said attachment' and supportin;lr means. said connection being; formed in sections and hinged tosrether.

5. 'lhe combination with a piano, of supporting" means secured to the key bed thereot', a slide mounted 'upon the supporting means and below' the key bed. and means counectine' the attaclnnent and slide for supporting: said attachment above the keys of-the piano.

S). The combination with a supportingmeans. of a slide mounted thereon. a standard pivoted to the slide, an automatic playing attachment adjustably .onnect'cd to they 

